Sales lessons from sports: trust the process

“Goals are for people who care about winning once. Systems are for people who care about winning repeatedly.” - James Clear

In this episode of Take the Stage, Brad Bialy sits down with Keely Flood to uncover how staffing leaders can replace random acts of selling with systems that drive predictable, repeatable growth.

About the Guest

Keely Flood is the founder of The Systematic Recruiter and author of The Honest Salesperson newsletter. He helps boutique recruiting agencies build scalable revenue engines by installing repeatable sales systems, sharpening positioning, and coaching teams to execute with clarity and consistency.

Key Takeaways

Systems create repeatable success where goals alone cannot.

• Success is hidden in the boring basics.
• Relevance beats personalization in modern sales.
• Always be conversing, not just closing.
• Great firms win with playbooks, not luck.

Timestamps

[00:56] – Systems vs. goals: why James Clear was right

[02:13] – Nick Saban and trusting the process

[05:09] – Why most sales teams resist building systems

[07:36] – What top staffing firms are doing differently

[09:11] – The trap of shiny new tools vs. core processes

[12:44] – Always be conversing: redefining ABC in sales

[14:41] – Outworking 90% of competitors with persistence

[16:45] – Shifting focus from closing to understanding

[19:46] – Relevance over personalization in prospecting

[21:21] – Can cold calling still win in 2025?

[23:26] – Lessons staffing leaders can steal from sports

[25:50] – Why success lives in the boring basics

About the Host

Brad Bialy is a trusted voice and highly sought-after speaker in the staffing and recruiting industry, known for helping firms grow through integrated marketing, sales, and recruiting strategies. With over 13 years at Haley Marketing and a proven track record guiding hundreds of firms, Brad brings deep expertise and a fresh, actionable perspective to every engagement. He’s the host of Take the Stage and InSights, two of the staffing industry’s leading podcasts with more than 200,000 downloads.

Sponsors and Offers Heard

Take the Stage is presented by Haley Marketing. The old way of selling staffing is dead. Let’s fix it – with smarter strategies and HUGE DISCOUNTS on modern lead gen tools: https://bit.ly/Bialy20

Book a 30-minute business and marketing consultation with host, Brad Bialy: https://bit.ly/Bialy30

For 30 years, Benefits in a Card has delivered benefit plans designed specifically for the staffing industry—over 140 unique options with immediate coverage, unique perks like FreeRx, and solutions that reduce turnover while improving ACA compliance. Give your workforce benefits they’ll actually use and give your staffing firm a competitive edge. Learn more at https://www.BenefitsInACard.com . #salesadvice #salestips #sales